Another's story: explica que…, segons…, suposadament
Another's words are introduced by explicar que plus the ordinary tense. L'Anna explica que el tren va arribar tard — Anna says the train was late. For example: “L'Anna explica que el tren va arribar tard” — Anna tells that the train was late. A rule from the Catalan course: worked out on examples, not memorized as a wording.
How it works
Another's words are introduced by explicar que plus the ordinary tense. L'Anna explica que el tren va arribar tard — Anna says the train was late.
The same with dir, afegir, prometre: the verb names who speaks, and que opens what.
A reference without direct speech is segons: Segons ell, ningú no va veure res — according to him, nobody saw anything.
A greater distance is set by suposadament — "supposedly": Suposadament el mercat tanca dilluns — supposedly the market closes on Monday.
Table
| turn | distance | example |
|---|---|---|
| explicar que | I pass on the words | Explica que arriba demà |
| segons + who | according to | Segons ell, tot és bé |
| suposadament | I doubt it | Suposadament tanca dilluns |
By example
- L'Anna explica que el tren va arribar tardAnna tells that the train was late
- Segons ell, ningú no va veure resAccording to him, nobody saw anything
- Suposadament el mercat tanca dilluns, però cal comprovar-hoSupposedly the market closes on Monday, but it must be checked
How the rule settles in your head
A rule is not memorized from an explanation. It is memorized from an attempt to use it and a mistake — that is why the app delivers it mixed in with words, not as a separate lesson: it resurfaces exactly where you forgot it.
Frequently asked
Another's story: how does it work in Catalan?
Another's words are introduced by explicar que plus the ordinary tense. L'Anna explica que el tren va arribar tard — Anna says the train was late.
What does it look like in an example sentence Catalan?
“L'Anna explica que el tren va arribar tard” — Anna tells that the train was late. A rule is easier to test on sentences like this than to memorize as a wording: what surfaces in conversation is the sentence.